Reconciliation
by Screwup
Summary: After winning the Equestrian World Flying Competition, Rainbow Dash's friends have been slowly drifting away from her. Can they reconcile soon enough to defeat the invading army of undead that threatens to overwhelm Equestria? Rated T for violence.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Rainbow Dash began her final lap around the obstacle course as scores of fans cheered below. Giving a final burst of speed, she flashed across the finish line in a wondrous streak of rainbow. But then she was falling...where were her fans now? She woke up, jumping up instantaneously in her Cloudsdale mansion that she had won from the Equestrian flying contest last year. It only put more pressure on her for this year, which she definitely did not need.

Even though it was only 4:30 in the morning, she decided to go for some warmup laps on the local track. She put on her tracksuit dully as she stared around her room, back ever-so-slightly hunched. She had been lonely ever since she won the contest, became famous, and her friends had slowly begun to reject her. Over-achievers always have the worst luck, she thought glumly.

She took off from the upstairs balcony, ducking under some low-flying storm clouds as she headed towards the track. Soaring up for a full minute, she gained momentum for a dive - and possibly a sonic rainboom. Yeah. that was cool, wasn't it? She recalled her first sonic rainboom, when she was a filly at summer flight camp. Her second, where she had her friends to cheer her on and be happy for her. That wasn't a big enough achievement to make them resent her yet. Maybe the years together, the problems they faced as one, had drawn their friendship farther apart and finally to a close. Maybe she had done something wrong. Maybe it would have been better to reject the fame and fortune as opposed to friendship. She couldn't see herself resenting someone for achievement - but then again, she was the element of loyalty.

Not that it mattered anymore, right? She had no more friends to cheer her on now. Not really trying, she sped downwards. Without warning, a gigantic crackle of lightning pierced the sky and struck the spot where Dash had been half a second ago. Recoiling in surprise, she realized she was so caught up in her sadness that she'd forgotten to check the weather before heading out. Now miles from her home, she would have a tough time heading home. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash sped off towards home as rain started to pour. With Nightmare Moon manipulating the weather, she never had a chance.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A hooded unicorn sank to her knees in the dark, shadowed office. "You asked to see me, mistress," she said, softly but clearly.

"Indeed." Nightmare Moon stared out the window at the pouring rain. "I trust that you understand our plan?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Very well. Do it tonight."

"What? But-"

"Do not argue. I know that it is the opportune time."

The smaller unicorn stopped her stuttering. Bowing once more, her horn glowed and she disappeared. The office was now completely silent, apart from the steady breathing of the evil alicorn standing by the window. Equestria is finished, she thought silently, and I will be the one to deal the finishing blow.

Twilight Sparkle sighed as she collapsed onto a beanbag chair. "I'll _never _find a dragon-dropsy solution!" she gasped exasperatedly.

"Maybe it's because there aren't enough BALLOONS!" Pinkie Pie jumped up and down on the bright red beanbag chair, which she insisted Twilight take from her. Twilight bounced up and down ever so slightly with each jump, making Pinkie giggle very loudly. "Why are you even looking for one? It's not like Spike has it, right?"

"Yeah…Ha..ha.." Twilight laughed nervously as Pinkie Pie hopped off the chair and walked over to the window.

"Hey look, it's raining! What's for lunch?"

"Ugh…." Twilight's slow croak spoke of a mare that hadn't had any rest for three whole days. Getting up wearily, she forced herself back to her worktable. She added some ground up Dandetiger plants and watched as the dull brown mixture bubbled and turned into a lavishing shade of magenta. Smiling at its beauty, she collapsed on her desk. She struggled to open her eyes as her brain dimmed and threatened to shut down. Before she could fall asleep, however, a bucket of ice-cold water hit her face with a loud SPLASH.

"PINKIE PIE!" Twilight leapt up, but it was Spike who had poured water over her.

"Seriously, Twilight, what's the big deal about me pouring some water on you before you fell asleep? I thought you wouldn't rest until you had found a cure!" Spike looked at his feet.

"Look, Spike, you're very important to me, but I can't go on without collapsing of exhaustion! Would that be good for my studies?"

"And suddenly you've come to you senses about what I've been trying to tell you for three days." Twilight smiled and went to her room to have a nice rest.

The truth was, Spike _was _extremely ill with dragon dropsy. Only Twilight knew, and she was keeping it a secret, but Spike knew she wasn't taking it seriously enough. He'd been feeling nauseous for a week, and he knew that the disease he had was one of the most unpredictable in all of Equestria. He could suddenly dry out, or he could erupt in purple spots - none of the options seemed fun. Right now, his stomach growled and shot a burning pain up his spine. Resigning himself to the fact that only Twilight could cure him, he threw himself onto his bed and went to sleep.

_Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres…._

"Are you sure about this, Applejack?" Fluttershy pawed the ground nervously. "You want me to distract all the animals while you pull their home away? I don't know if I…"

"I'ma be straight and honest with ya, a'right? We need that tree to mend our fence, or the wolves will get us at night. It's us 'r them." Applejack shook her head sadly. "They'll find another tree, but we can't get another place. Sales have been going down lately." She pulled a small chart from under the folds of her jacket.

"O-o-ok-okay then…." Fluttershy looked towards the Everfree forest, sniffling.

"Howdy, sis!" Apple Bloom bounded across the courtyard over to her sister, where they hugged.

"Hey…err, how do I put this…we've gotta tear down a tree." It was Applejack's turn to feel guilty. Her sister might not be a filly anymore, but she was still delicate.

"Why, sis?" Apple Bloom's innocent face made Applejack's inside melt. No, she had to do what was necessary. She couldn't forsake her whole family for an old oak tree.

"We need'a mend our fence or wolves will get in." There. Short and simple.

"But what about all the poor animals that live there?" Apple Bloom wasn't about to let up just yet.

"Oh, they'll manage, darlin'." Applejack decided the end the conversation right there. "Go fetch Big Mac, will ya?"

"Alright, sis." Apple Bloom galloped off into the barn obediently. Applejack sighed. They might just have to tough it out for the night.


	3. Chapter 2

It was dark when Rainbow Dash regained consciousness. She was floating in a muddy lake filled with dead leaves and other dead things she didn't care to mention. She climbed onto dry land, trying to recall how she'd ended up there. Yes, a giant purple thunderbolt had struck her out of the sky. She assumed something chaotic and wild was behind it all - purple thunderbolts were not very natural, after all.

Shaking herself off, Dash pondered what could've happened. She was no thinker, she thought to herself glumly. If only Twilight were here. She looked up at the sky, filled with dark clouds once more. Dash presumed that she had been out for two days, three days tops. What in the world was wrong? It was unusual for giant storms to happen this close in time to each other. She thought about all the villains she and her friends had defeated using the power of friendship and she laughed, a dry cackling sound that didn't fit her. Getting up on her feet, she decided to go back home - wherever that might be, she thought bitterly. I'm trapped alone in the middle of nowhere, and I'm not even thinking straight._  
_

Observing her surroundings, Dash found that she wasn't in the middle of nowhere after all. She was in the Darkwood Lake, a landmark that all ponies strayed away from if they could help it. Tales about curses and monsters originating from the lake were frequent, and the stories circling through her mind didn't help Rainbow Dash's nerves as she paced around the barren landscape. Trying to stay calm, she snooped around for an exit - the sky was sealed off by a canopy of scary-looking trees that Dash did not want to explore. The many types of mosses growing on the ground made squelching noises as they were trod underhoof, and all sorts of animals skittered around, making ominous sounds.

Dash sat down on a fallen log, making the insects and creatures within it scurry away in fright. She didn't think that animals were normally this hostile, but what did she know? She wasn't Fluttershy. She missed her friends.

For the first time in her life, she was in danger AND alone. And when se thought it couldn't get any worse, a giant dark purple rift opened in the sky, like someone had cut through it hastily with a dull knife. Lightning crackled loudly overhead, and Rainbow Dash was struck unconscious once more before she could comprehend a single detail.

* * *

Sweetie Belle was at the Apple family's door, eavesdropping on the frustrated conversation coming from within. Her knapsack was over her shoulder on a stick she'd found (Rarity would never have let her use any of her fancy bags), and she was trying to keep silent and stay within earshot at the same time. Twice she almost toppled over, but years of listening to Rarity made her alert and fast to react. So far, she'd stayed on her feet, undiscovered.

"I-say, the-barn-won't-survive-another-night-without-a-fence!" Granny Smith creaked, slamming her hoof on the table.

"But we just got no time! Goin' into the Everfree forest at night is suicide!" Applejack countered defiantly.

"Yeeepppp." Big Macintosh nodded crisply. Apple Bloom did so as well, pretending she understood the implications of the situations.

"Then," Granny Smith furrowed her brow, "I'll have to go myself."

"YAY!" Apple Bloom pushed the table out of the way as she bounded towards Granny. "I'll go with ya. Y'all take care!"

"Most certainly not!" Applejack put her hoof down. "We'll go, and YOU will go stay at Sweetie Belle's."

Perking up at this, Sweetie Belle scampered back to the road and pretended to be walking towards the house. A minute later, Apple Bloom left the house. "Heya, Apple Bloom!"

"Hi, Sweetie Belle... My family's gotta go out on some business, so can I sleep over at your place? We can get Scootaloo to come along too!"

"Sure! Let's go!" But happy as she was, she too couldn't fail to notice the giant crack appearing in the sky.

* * *

Nightmare Moon stood in front of the colossal portal she had created mere minutes ago. The hooded unicorn, as always, stood alert behind her, ushering undead into a line with her magic. Nightmare Moon knew she'd had done her best - this was as close to obedience as it got. They had long before gotten used to the moans and creaks that came from the zombies, but the stench was still hard to bear. They smelled of leaking brains, and rotten whatever-they-had-eaten-or-touched before-infection. Besides, they were infested by all kinds of parasitic animals.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself for the magic she herself would have to perform to actually open the portal to undead access. Shifting undead to Equestria from an alternate dimension was not an easy task, even for her. She was tired and sleepy, but forced herself to continue. This was the night.

She sighed deeply as the hooded unicorn finished ushering the last of the zombies into an orderly line. "Are you nearly ready to pursue our ambitions?" she boomed in her 'Royal Evil Voice', which was basically the Royal Canterlot Voice with a slightly weirder name. Luna (yes, she called herself that) still considered herself nothing short of royalty, and prided herself that Celestia still did not know of her betrayal. Her poor, gullible sister left with the task of governing all of Equestria - Luna was merely seizing her chance to overthrow her before anyone else could. She may be shorter than Celestia, but she was more ambitious, more cunning, and superior in every other way. Her plan couldn't fail - it had started all so well.

"Yes, your majesty. We are ready." The hooded unicorn, who was 'unnamed' according to herself, sank to t he ground in a deep bow. Luna had never felt the need to call her by name, so she let it go that she didn't provide her that information. The zombies did their best impressions of salutes, but some rather clumsily and the ones without arms waving their stubs wildly. It was not the most pleasant thing Luna could have done that day.

She could have me guests with her sister. She could have gone to some royal tea parties with her sister. She could have filed some documents with her sister. She could have done whatever she 'wanted', but that was the last thing she actually wanted - her all-important sister was too important for her to do anything unrelated to her.

Breathing deeply, she gave the command for the unicorn to open the portal. Her personal feelings would have to wait.


End file.
